


All in this Together

by marissa_ann



Category: Hamilton - Miranda
Genre: Alternate Universe - Foster Family, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Cuddling & Snuggling, Foster Care, Friendship, Gen, M/M, Nightmares, Panic Attacks, Past Abuse, Past Child Abuse, Platonic Cuddling, Puppy Piles
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-11-17
Updated: 2017-03-06
Packaged: 2018-08-31 13:36:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,488
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8580571
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/marissa_ann/pseuds/marissa_ann
Summary: Written for the prompt: Foster Care AU where the Washingtons already have Alex, Laf, John, Aaron, plus Herc pretty much lives there. Adding an angry Thomas to the mix wasn't an easy decision, especially when he lives to antagonize the others kids, but he's just as broken as the others were when they arrived and they won't give up on him.





	1. Intro

**Author's Note:**

> I shouldn't name things while my sisters are watching High School Musical.
> 
> Working on more Frayed Strings next. Hopefully up by tomorrow night.

George Washington watched as his wife Martha read through the case file he'd finished earlier. He knew her decision was made, likely it was made before she even opened Thomas Jefferson's file, but they had four other boys in the house they had to consider. As much as they would love to simply agree to bring the young man who desperately needed someone to take care of him into their family, they had to make sure it was the best decision for everyone. They didn't want to undo any of the progress their boys had made over the last few years and they didn't want Thomas to feel like he was merely another addition to a house full of boys.

George couldn't help thinking of his boys and how they each came into his life. Gilbert Lafayette was the first, a favour to his parents when the thirteen year old had started hanging out with a bad crowd and his parents had thought getting him away would help. George always thought if they'd paid their son a little more attention then he wouldn't have started acting out but he would never say it out loud. Aaron was next and came to them when he was twelve after his parents died in an car accident where he was the only survivor. Even now Aaron would only get in the car if someone he trusted was driving. Alex was brought to them by a social worker who had heard that the Washingtons had had success with Aaron. The thirteen year old barely spoke to anyone after losing everyone in his life and his social worker was hoping George and Martha could work a miracle on Alex. Now it was hard to get him to be quiet but they wouldn't have it any other way. Their newest addition was John and he was the only boy the Washingtons had met before taking him in. He'd been friends with their three boys, often over at their house, and there'd never been a sign there was something wrong until recently. They had all noticed he was getting thin and pale and looked sick most of the time. It took some prying and a lot of tearful conversations before John admitted his father had thrown him out for being gay and he had been living on the streets for two months, sneaking into the school early to shower and stealing just enough food from the cafeteria to not starve.

His boys were all so close and, along with their friend Hercules who George and Martha considered part of their family, had helped each other heal. The media loved the credit George, Senator Washington and his wife and their big hearts, but the truth was the boys had helped each other more than George or Martha could have ever hoped. When Alex had a nightmare, the other boys could be found sleeping with him in his room the next morning. When Aaron needed to sit in silence, the television went off and the books or sketchbook came out. When Lafayette worried that his latest outfit was too extreme, it was the boys who were the first to tell him he looked amazing. When John would berate himself for flinching at being touched unexpectedly, it was the boys who wouldn't stand for it and designated what George and Martha fondly called a puppy pile on the couch or in one of their beds.

"We have to talk to the boys," Martha said.

George nodded, having expected that exact answer. They wanted to give this Thomas Jefferson a chance but they would only do so with their boys' approval.


	2. Chapter One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We meet the boys and see how they're doing at the news of a possible new addition.

The day George and Martha had their first meeting with Thomas and his social worker, their boys were at home having a lazy day and discussing the possible new addition. They had all agreed to give Thomas a chance if George and Martha took him in but that didn't mean they weren't nervous. Lafayette had been through this process three other times so George had taken him aside before leaving and had asked him to keep an eye on his siblings. None of the other three were likely to speak up about any hesitant feelings they may have been having over Thomas and Lafayette had had to assure his parents he knew what to what for in his brothers.

There was no school today so Lafayette had planned a movie marathon. As many Harry Potter movies as they could watch before their parents got home and insisted they do something more productive. John was the easiest to convince. He loved Harry Potter and the uncertainty of a new family addition had left him feeling a little clingy toward his brothers. A movie distraction where he could curl up with one or more of them was the perfect solution. Once John was in, Alex was an easy sell. His workaholic brother would have locked himself in his room for the day, doing homework that wasn't due for a month, if Lafayette talked him into at least watching the first movie with them. He knew once the marathon started and John was curled up with him, Alex would stay for the whole thing. The key to Aaron was always getting everyone else on board first. He needed to feel like he was wanted by the group so having the group ask him was usually the best plan. If he got the impression he was the only choice, only being asked because everyone else said no, he would lock himself in his room for hours.

"Everyone ready?" he asked, looking around at his brothers. They were sharing the large sofa, squishing themselves together so there was a place for Lafayette. It amused him to see that Alex and Aaron had tucked John in between them, almost if they were using him as a barrier as much as they were assuring John of their presence. Lafayette knew there were complicated feelings between the three of them, especially between Alex and Aaron who had shared a house for a few years now. He was sure John was oblivious to the tension between those two; there would be no way he would look so relaxed sitting between them if he was aware.

"Just a second," Alex's voice had Lafayette pausing before he hit play. "John, I'm getting up. Anyone else want something to drink?"

It took only a few moments for Alex to return with everyone's requested drinks, hand them out, then take his place back on the couch after warning John he was sitting back down. They were always aware of each other's triggers but, with everyone a little on edge because of Thomas, they were a little extra careful.

"Ready," Alex declared and both John and Aaron nodded so Lafayette finally pressed play.

**********

When Hercules let himself into the house a few hours later he found all four of his friends fast asleep and the Prisoner of Azkaban ending on the screen. Lafayette had texted him earlier about a movie marathon but he'd still been asleep. There was no way he was getting out of bed before noon on a day off from school. If he had known they were just going to sleep all afternoon, he would have come over earlier and been back asleep by now.

"Herc?" Lafayette's voice caught his attention and he moved toward the couch. "You came."

"Of course I came," Hercules rolled his eyes. "How could I say no to you?" He peeked over to make sure the other three were still asleep before bending down to kiss his boyfriend. 'How's everyone holding up?"

Lafayette carefully slid out from the tangle that was his brothers' limbs so he could curl up with Hercules on the love seat. "They are, how you say, handling it. George and Martha have not given us too much information on this Thomas. They would not allow him into the house if they thought he was bad. I trust them."

Hercules opened his arms to allow his boyfriend to snuggle into his embrace, not that he would say snuggle out loud. None of his friends would let him live that down. And while he would pretend he hated the teasing, he would secretly enjoy every moment of it. It was a much better alternative to when his friends where so tentative around him because of his size, barely voicing their opinions if they happened to differ from his. Now Alex would spend hours arguing with him if he was allowed, though they usually stopped him after the fifteen minute mark; Lafayette expressed his opinion often; and John stopped flinching every time he let out a booming laugh. Aaron never seemed particularly bothered by him but never had gone out of his way to talk to him.

"How are you doing?" Hercules stressed. He hadn't missed the fact that Lafayette had only talked about his brothers.

"Fine," Lafayette shrugged. "I have been through this three times. I know I am not being replaced."

"Where's he going to sleep?" Right now Aaron and Alex shared a room with Lafayette and John having their own. Hercules liked that his boyfriend had his own room and the privacy that came with it but putting a new person with John probably wasn't best for anyone.

"Thomas will be taking John's room and John will be moving in with me," Lafayette replied. It was the best solution and one that had been offered by Lafayette himself. Putting Thomas in with John when he was still so uncertain on his own place in their family was never an option and, with no one being sure how Thomas would react to Lafayette and Hercules, they hadn't wanted to put them together. Lafayette and John already got along so well and it was rare that a week went by without one of them sleeping in the other's room anyway.

Hercules hummed in approval. "Sleep now. Looking at those three is making me tired."

Lafayette laughed softly so as not to disturb his brothers' sleep. "They really must figure out their feelings soon. Watching them is getting...what is the word...tenuous?"

"Tedious," Hercules corrected before voicing his agreement. "They'll figure it out. It took us a while. There's three of them and one of them is Alex. He doesn't exactly catch on to subtle feelings."

Lafayette laughed again, feeling his eyes drooping. Wrapped up in his boyfriend's arms made him feel safe and willing to drop the walls he sometimes put up around him. It didn't take long for him to drift back off into sleep, with Hercules joining him a few moments later.

That was how George and Martha came home to five teenage boys sleeping on their couches and Harry Potter still playing in the background.


	3. Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> George and Martha have their first meeting with Thomas.

Meeting Thomas Jefferson was unlike meeting any of their other kids. The anger that reverbarated off the young man was almost enough to have Martha flinch away and change her mind. This was a boy who was in obvious need of help, of someone to take care of him, but it couldn't be at the expense of her other boys. She would not have anyone hurting one of her boys. At the same time, she worried that Thomas would need too much of their attention and the other boys would start to feel neglected.

"Thomas, this is George and Martha Washington," the social worker, Sally, introduced the couple to the teenager. Martha wondered what, and how much, she had told Thomas about them and their family before their first meeting. Sally was the same social worker who had brought Alex into their lives so Martha trusted her but she knew how easy to was to let a small piece of information slip.

"So this is what my last chance looks like," Thomas scoffed and sat as far away as he could from George and Martha.

"Thomas," Sally's voice had a note of pleading to it and Martha wondered how often they'd been in a similar position. Thomas' file was thick, thicker than Alex's when they'd taken him in, and she knew he'd been placed and removed from many homes. "We've discussed this."

"No, you talked and I said nothing," Thomas rolled his eyes. "I know how this goes. You have other kids. You want to make sure I'm not a psychopath before bringing me into your house."

After taking in four boys, Martha hadn't thought much could startle her but Thomas' candor somehow managed to do just that. He made the motherly instincts within her war with themselves, between wanting to prove to him that someone thought better of him than he obviously did himself and not wanting his anger around her still vulnerable boys back home.

"Thomas," Sally sighed and Martha thought she looked a little defeated, "no one is going to force you into anything. I've told you that. But yes, the Washingtons are your last chance at a foster family or your next placement will be in a group home until you age out. Give them a chance."

"How many kids you got?" the teen asked.

"We have four boys, all around the same age as you," George answered him. "Lafayette, Aaron, Alex, and John. If you give us a chance, you'll be attending the same school as them."

That got a small nod from Thomas. "Do I have to share a room?"

"No," this time Martha replied to the question. "You will have your own room. I will admit, it's the smallest bedroom but the other boys all share so whoever has the smallest room always gets their own. House rule."

"Do they know?" came the next question.

"The boys?" George handled that one. "Yes, they all know. Everyone agreed to this and we don't want you to feel like you're replacing someone or like you're just another kid in our house. If you live with us, you'll be considered family and all that comes with that. That means the vacations, the chores, family dinners, curfew, movie nights, punishments, everything."

"What kind of punishments?" this was the first time Martha thought she heard a waver to the teen's harsh tone. Her heart went out to the boy.

George immediately shook his head. "We don't give out physical punishment of any kind. Break the rules and you'll be grounded, given extra chores, have your phone taken away or be banned from watching TV. You don't have to worry about being hit by one of us in my house."

"What happens if I get into a fight with one of your precious boys?" the harsh, uncaring tone was back but Martha could see beyond it, see the vulnerable boy who was trying not to get his hopes up that they were telling the truth.

"I can't lie and say our boys don't fight," George chuckled and Martha noticed Thomas' shoulders tense up just a little. "But when they do, we listen to both sides of the story before deciding on any punishment and we listen if they think the punishment is unfair. I'm not saying we change it every time they think it's unfair but we talk to them about why we decided on that punishment and how they can change it with good behavior. We're not going to automatically take their side over yours just because they've been with us longer. We're not naive enough to think they're going to be perfectly well-behaved boys every second of the day and we don't expect that out of any of them. And we won't expect that out of you either. All we ask for is that you obey the rules and you make an effort in school, in your therapy, and in our family."

Thomas was silent for a moment, eyes flicking back and forth between Sally and George and Martha. "That's it?" he finally broke the quiet. "That's the pitch?"

"We have a few more meetings set up to discuss other things but yes, this first one was so you could meet George and Martha and talk about expectations," Sally interjected. "You can think of as many questions as you need to for the next meeting. This is going to happen at your speed."

"And we'll answer every question you have," Martha assured him. She wanted to reach out and touch his hand, shoulder, anything to let him know she wanted to be there for him but she held herself back. He had the same look in his eyes as Alex did when he first arrived, the look that screamed 'don't touch me' to everyone.

Sally and Thomas left first, the boy without looking back and Sally offering them a hopeful smile. George and Martha took a moment to reflect before leaving the room. They had a long drive ahead of them to get back home to their boys.

*****

Walking into their home hours later, they were greeted by the sounds of the TV playing Harry Potter. George gave Martha a fond smile before he headed down the hall to his office while she poked her head into the living room to find all her boys asleep on the couches. She turned off the TV then moved from boy to boys, brushing her fingers lightly through their hair or straightening the blanket over them. Hercules being over didn't surprise her in the least. She would have been more shocked not to find him sharing a couch with Lafayette.

She really should wake them. They'd probably been sleeping most of the day. But they all looked so peaceful that she decided to let them sleep until dinner was ready. After that, they could do the cleaning because they slept all day and she was exhausted from two long car rides.


	4. Chapter Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> George and Martha have their second meeting with Thomas.

Martha smiled to herself as she quietly made her way into first Aaron's and Alex's room, then into Lafayette's and John's room. It was early, too early for the boys to even stir at her movements, but she and George wanted to get a head start on the drive to see Thomas for their second meeting. The night before they had had a discussion with each of the boys about George and Martha answering any questions about them that Thomas might have and how much the boys were comfortable with Thomas knowing before meeting him.

She knew the conversation unfortunately left the boys all a little unsettled so it wasn't a surprise to her to walk into Aaron's and Alex's room to find books and papers spread around as if they'd worked late into the night to avoid sleeping. Just as it wasn't a surprise when she found Lafayette and John in the same bed, holding on to each other as if they were scared they would be separated. If this was what adding to their family would do to her boys, she really had to wonder if it was the right decision.

Then Thomas' angry but hopeful face would come to her mind and she refused to give up on the boy.

**********

Their second meeting with Thomas was a little more relaxed than the first, whether because the boy felt more at ease or because they knew what to expect, Martha wasn't quite sure. Thomas had a notebook with him, she presumed full of questions he'd thought of since their last visit, and a pen, likely to take note of their answers. It saddened her that Thomas felt the need to write down rules, promises, and answers. It also gave her a bit of hope that he would end up getting along well with Alex, who was also big on writing everything down.

"Nice to see you again Sally," George greeted as he took the seat across from Sally, leaving the one across from Thomas open for Martha. "Looks like you've got quite a few questions written down for us," he gestured at the now open notebook that was full of writing.

"You said as many as I wanted," Thomas' expression dared him to say otherwise.

"We did," George agreed. "And we'll answer all of them as best we can. There are some questions, if it involves the other boys, we might have to be vague about. There's some things they don't want to talk about until they know you better. And that goes for you as well. Anything you don't want us to tell them, we won't. Sound fair?"

Thomas nodded, pulling his notebook closer to himself so he could scribble down what George had said on a blank sheet of paper. "Why do you want so many kids? Especially teenagers?"

"We never could have kids of our own," George placed a hand over Martha's and gave it a gentle squeeze. "And we did look at adopting infants or younger children at first but then Lafayette came to us and it just felt like giving a chance to others like him was something we had to do. I know that probably sounds a little movie-of-the-week but it's the best way I can explain it."

"So Lafayette was first?" Thomas didn't glance at his notes that time and Martha wondered if this question was spontaneous. "How long has he been with you?"

"He's been with us for four years now," Martha told him. "He's seventeen."

"And the others?"

"Aaron came next, then Alex, then John," George picked up answering the rest of the question. "Aaron's sixteen now, Alex is fifteen, and John is just about to turn sixteen. You'll also meet Hercules since he's over at our house all the time. He's one of the boys' best friends and he's eighteen, I believe."

Martha nodded, a smile tugging her lips as she remembered Lafayette dragging her on a dozen shopping trips to find the perfect present. "He turned eighteen a few months ago."

"What kind of chores did you mean last time?" Thomas asked.

"The usual stuff," Martha replied. "Keep your room clean. Do the dishes when it's your turn. I do the laundry but it's your job to put away your own clothes. If you'd like to cook dinner we can add you to the schedule but if not, that's fine too. We can teach you to cook if you'd like but again, we won't make you. If you make a mess then clean it up. There's also some basic yard work we all pitch in for about once a month but we don't have a schedule for who does what. Someone mows, someone weeds, someone rakes, just whatever needs to be done."

"I can cook," Thomas admitted softly. "A little. Mostly pasta."

"We love pasta," Martha assured him. "I have a couple different types of pasta makers at home for homemade pasta. People know I love to cook so I get a lot of cooking appliances for presents."

That got a slight smile from the boy, she noticed. If Thomas wanted, she'd be more than willing to teach him how to make his own pasta. The only other boy who had enough patience and the willingness to learn was John. Alex got too frustrated when his first attempt didn't work because he didn't follow the recipe. Lafayette simply preferred baking and Aaron had no interest since he wasn't the biggest fan of pasta. He would eat it if someone else cooked it but saw no need in learning for himself.

"Am I allowed to have rules for you?" Thomas broke the relaxed mood with his next question.

"As long as they're reasonable," George answered after a quick glance to Martha.

"My name is Thomas," the boy's voice was firm. "I don't want anyone calling me Tom or T....Tommy. Jefferson's fine too."

George and Martha shared a quick look, both noticing the catch in the boy's voice when he said 'Tommy'. "We can do that," Martha assured him. "And we'll make sure the boys all know."

"I don't want people coming into my room without knocking," came the next rule. "Or coming in as they're knocking. If someone comes into my room, it's because I let them in. Is that okay?"

"That's fine," George handled that one. "We try to give everyone the privacy they want. Our attic works as a reading, office, art room for the boys and it has a pull out couch they use sometimes when they just need to get away from everything. We're a big family and sometimes the noise can be a bit much."

They spent another hour answering all of Thomas' questions, noting that some were similar just with slightly different wording as if he was trying to catch them in a lie. The boy was obviously bright.

"There's one more thing," Thomas suddenly became very hesitant. "I sleep with a nightlight. I can't sleep without it."

"That's fine," Martha smiled at him. "There's nothing wrong with that. When George is away, I leave our bathroom light on so the room isn't pitch black. I won't have anyone calling me or you silly for needing a little light."

That seemed to overwhelm Thomas but Martha caught him mouthing 'thank you' to her and she smiled again.

"It's getting close to lunch," George looked over to Sally. "How about we treat you both and we can tell you more about our boys so you know what you're coming into? If you decide to come live with us."

"That sounds good," Sally agreed. "Thank you."

Thomas just nodded.


	5. Chapters 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thomas learns about the other boys, progress is made and then lost. And a little look at the boys left back home.

They ended up at a small, locally owned restaurant that Sally recommended. It took a little pushing to get Thomas to order more than a small side dish, the cheapest food on the menu, but finally the teen settled on a club sandwich with fries. There was a bit of uncomfortable silence as both parties waited for the other to speak before George broke it.

"Would you rather that we told you about each of the boys or would you like to ask questions?" he asked. "We'll answer what we can and maybe you can write down the ones we can't to ask the boys yourself?"

"Can we do both?" Thomas was fiddling with the straw in his drink, refusing to look up at them as he spoke. "Just tell me about them and if I have a question, I'll ask."

"That sounds good," Martha smiled even though the boy wasn't looking at her. It was such a change from the angry boy they had first met. She felt more certain than ever that their house was the right place for Thomas. "Lafayette was first, like we said, and he's our oldest. His parents sent him to live with us to get him away from the people he was hanging out with at home. His parents are friends of ours and we had met Lafayette a few times. He was always a sweet boy so, of course, we wanted to help. He's the most open out of all the boys so don't be surprised if he's the one who welcomes you first."

Thomas nodded, making a couple quick notes in his ever present notebook. "And Aaron was next?"

"Yes," George answered that time. "There was a car accident and sadly, his family didn't survive. He's very quiet so don't be offended if he doesn't say much to you at first. He likes his privacy and since he shares a room with Alex, he'll go up to the attic when he needs to be alone. Between him and John, turning to attic into a study/art room was a great decision."

"We actually expected Alex to get the most use out of it since he's always writing but he prefers to lock himself away in George's office when he can," Martha smiled and shook her head fondly. She'd often found her husband and Alex in his office working side by side on their separate projects. "Alex is very passionate and opinionated. He loves debating so don't be surprised if he tries to pull you into one, but you are allowed to walk away if you want. Out of all the boys, he's the loudest and the easiest to get to talk as long as it doesn't get too personal."

"John's the newest?" Martha didn't miss the look in Thomas' eyes when she talked about Alex. Those two would either be instant friends or they would dislike either each right from the start. She hoped they would become friends.

"He's been with us less than six months," George replied. "But we've known him for about two years. He goes to the same school as the others so they became friends. He needed a place to stay and we already considered him a part of the family. He's our resident artist. There is one thing John asked us to share with you. He's very...sensitive toward unexpected touches and noises so if you need to get his attention and he's not answering when you say his name, don't grab him or yell his name. Just walk into his line of sight or, if that doesn't work, try flicking the lights off and on. That usually works."

Neither of them missed the haunted look in Thomas' eyes as he said, "He was abused," in a final tone.

"He doesn't like to talk about it," George said in a firm tone that had Martha hitting his arm in warning but it was too late. Thomas' once open expression was closed off again. "I'm sorry Thomas. I'm not angry with you. I'm sure you'll understand why we get a little defensive when you meet John."

"It's fine," Thomas shrugged, even though it clearly was not. "No scaring John. Got it."

"It's not fine," Martha interjected before her husband could open his mouth. "You're allowed to tell us if we do something to make you uncomfortable. I'm not going to promise that it will never happen but we will do our best to make sure it doesn't happen again. Fair?"

Thomas nodded but the closed off expression remained on his face for the rest of lunch. George and Sally kept up a steady stream of small talk while Martha watched Thomas, who gave her nothing in return. Soon the four found themselves back at Sally's office around the familiar table.

"Well, I think Thomas, you have a lot to think about," Sally said in an indication that the meeting was finished for the day. "How about you take a couple of days to think everything over and we'll meet again next weekend?"

"What if I already have my decision?" Thomas cut in.

"I still think you should take some time to think about it," Sally replied, "but I know you don't change your mind easily. What do you think?"

Thomas looked right at George and Martha. "It's them or the group home. I don't think that's really a choice. I'll go with them."

**********

"He is still asleep?" Lafayette asked as he walked into the living room to find Alex and John on the couch in the exact same position he'd left them an hour ago, with John asleep with his head on Alex's lap. "Do you want me to help you move him?"

"No, it's fine," Alex smiled down at John's sleeping form. "I have a lot of work to do and I don't want to risk waking him when he's finally sleeping."

Lafayette nodded, not pointing out that Alex hadn't been sleeping much either lately. None of them had. Instead of calling him on it, Lafayette retrieved more work for Alex and a blanket for John before heading off to find Aaron.

"I'm fine," Aaron said once Lafayette found him in the attic. "You don't need to hover."

"I am not hovering," Lafayette replied, stepping into the room and frowning a little at the mess. They really should clean up a bit before George or Martha came up unannounced. "I just....need to do something."

At that, Aaron nodded. He knew Lafayette liked to take care of everyone else, especially when he felt something was happening that was beyond his control. Lately he'd taken to making sure John felt secure with all the talk about bringing Thomas into the house and with John moving room, but with John asleep, it left him with nothing.

"I'm sure Martha would love to come home to some fresh cookies," Aaron suggested. Lafayette did love to bake and maybe once the cookies were finished, John would be awake and Lafayette could go back to hovering over him. Which would leave Aaron in peace to finish his book.

"She would," Lafayette beamed. "Would you like to help?"

As much as Aaron wanted to say no, to stay in the attic and finish his book, he couldn't say no to the hopeful expression on Lafayette's face. So he found himself downstairs with cookie batter sticking in between his fingers and feeling more relaxed than he had in weeks.


End file.
